By Sharon Merkel Prudhomme ~
Are you in to Hummus? I used to find it distasteful until we made our own. Of course for our catering business we’d make a gallon at a time, for home use, one can small can will do it. All you’ll need is a food processor, the rest is a five-minute snap! Most recipes call for the “Tahini” (sesame) paste which sells for about $6-$7 for a 16 oz. bottle. Another choice would be sesame oil. I prefer to use sesame seeds which are placed in a dry fry pan and toasted until they turn a nice tan or khaki color. Chick Peas, AKA Garbanzo Beans are in the legume family and are Egyptian peas. Whether bought at your local grocery store in the ethnic section or….at the Dollar Tree, you’ll find them easily. Give this quick recipe a shot and let us know what you think. Remember, as in most recipes, use it as a guide for the basic, adding your own “twist”. I prefer no salt as I use herbs and seasonings, but IF you must go easy. Enjoy! 5 minutes is all it takes*
1 can 15oz. chick peas- drain, reserving liquid, 1 Tbl olive oil, 1 Tsp lemon juice, 1 clove garlic or ½ Tsp garlic powder(more if you love garlic as I do), ½ Tsp cumin, 2-3 Tsp sesame seeds (heat, dry pan till khaki color-remove from heat quickly)
**Add all of the above into processor and blend until smooth adding small stream of reserved liquid at a time until you have the desired thickness. Voila! Enjoy with fresh-cut bell peppers, carrots, cucumber “gears” (recipe to follow), grape tomatoes, celery, assorted crackers, etc. The following are additions to try for a variations when processing. Red bell pepper, hot sauce, spinach, fresh basil leaves, peanut butter, oregano, crushed red pepper, sour cream, grain mustard-skies the limit!